Choosing A Side
by The Lady Elrond
Summary: Julia Claremont is a pirate, forced to become an agent for the East India Company to save the man she loves. Taken prisoner by Hector Barbossa in Singapore, she begins to question where her loyalties, and her heart, truly lie. Can she trust Beckett with her fiancé's life? Probably not. Can she resist her growing attraction to a man who seems to loathe her? No chance! AWE. Revised.
1. Welcome to Singapore

**Choosing A Side**

**Welcome to Singapore  
**

_'You can't turn back,_  
_Because this road is all you'll ever have.'_

Julia Claremont was uneasy, her flinty brown eyes darting over the shadows of the harbour as she led the uniformed officers deeper into the seedy Singapore underworld. She paused, glancing into the gloom apprehensively as a slight figure in a boat glided past her hiding place beside the river. She had good reason to be nervous; the song had been sung and, as a former pirate herself, Julia knew something important was about to happen.

_The Brethren Court had been called._

"Get a move on!" Mercer hissed from somewhere behind her, shoving her forward as he wondered, not for the first time that day, why Lord Beckett had not done away with the whore along with the rest of her ominous friends. Julia scowled at him before plunging into the darkness, her hand on her dagger.

_How long has it been_? she thought as she crept along the dank walls, the strains of an old sea shanty ringing in her ears, _How long have I been a traitor?_

It wasn't really her fault. She didn't have a choice. Captain Walker and the crew of the _Jezebel _had been amongst the first victims of Cutler Beckett's vendetta against the the crime of piracy and it's perpetrators. He had spared her, along with her fiancé, Matthew, in return for her services. Matthew was currently in Port Royal, locked away in a cell, whilst she was forced to accompany Mercer on a mission to execute the leaders of the rebellion against Beckett's tyranny. If she helped to destroy the world of the pirates, using her knowledge and skills, she and Matthew would be free. But, if she should fail in her task, her fiancé would face the gallows...

And Julia would undoubtedly be dispatched by the charming Mr. Mercer. The idea of that sadistic bastard sneering coldly down the barrel of a loaded pistol at her made the young woman shudder.

She gasped as he grabbed her suddenly by the shoulder and pinned her to the wall. "What are you-" Julia growled, resisting the temptation to plunge her dagger into his vile guts. "Shhh! There they are!" he pointed at a small group of people entering a dilapidated bathhouse, "Is_ that_ the place?" Julia nodded and squinted into the darkness; Sao Feng's hideout didn't look like much to the untrained eye, but inside lurked some of the most deadly pirates to be found in the known world.

"They're going inside. We have to follow!"

"And who are _they_?" Julia demanded, silently hoping that she would not be required to murder anyone she knew.

"Not very well guarded, is it?" Mercer shot back, pointedly ignoring her question as they followed the agents towards the shack, "We could just walk in!"

Julia snorted, "Sao Feng isn't the type of man to leave his front door wide open. Fortunately for you, I know another way."

Once they had all managed to slink around the back of the bathhouse, Mercer snorted in disgust at the sight of this secret entrance. It was a small window, nine feet from the ground, the glass shattered in several places. "Go on then, this is your ridiculous plan. Get yourself in there," he ordered, grinning smugly as she looked up reluctantly at the dim opening. No one offered to give her a leg up.

Julia groaned inwardly and went in search of a barrel.

_Just another day on the job._

**a/n Lyrics are from by 'Fences' by Paramore.** _  
_


	2. Julia Meets Her Match

**Julia Meets Her Match  
**

Soon enough Julia was inside, though her knees were scraped raw by the rough wall which she had been forced to scale. Fumbling with her pistol, she swore under her breath as she lost her balance and dropped to the ground, wincing as pain shot through her ankles from the impact. The room was almost completely dark; the only light came from a dozing guard, who was slumped beside a small lantern at the end of the corridor.

"Claremont! Is it clear?" Mercer called from outside, his voice harsh and urgent, "Answer me, damn you! Is it clear?"

Cocking her pistol in the gloom, Julia ignored him. A single shot rang out and the guard crumpled to the floor, executed with a bullet to the head. It was a quick death, and clean too - infinitely more merciful than most could hope for.

_And certainly preferable to the noose which awaited Julia, and Matthew, if she failed tonight..._

"Right, clear now!" she hissed, immediately pushing the thought from her mind. She extinguished the dead man's lantern as the other agents landed behind her with heavy thumps and muffled clangs. Mercer darted past her, leading them down the corridor towards the dim light of the main audience chamber and the slight strains of several voices raised in debate.

_"What is it that you seek...in Davy Jones' Locker?"_

"Sao Feng!" Julia whispered as she and Mercer found themselves kneeling behind a latticed screen of ornately carved wood, the officers behind them. She peered through the wooden mesh at the oriental pirate, and the small company gathered before him. She was only half listening, focused instead on the sudden, and violent, churning of her stomach...

_"Jack Sparrow...he's one of the nine Pirate Lords."_

A young man's voice pierced the air and Julia's eyes widened in surprise. Jack? _Jack Sparrow?_ What was her old friend doing in the Locker? She glanced at Mercer, who was watching the pirates with hungry eyes as he loaded his pistol.

Sao Feng sounded as shocked as she felt, but much less sympathetic as he lashed out violently at something she couldn't see, which clattered loudly to the ground. A young agent crouching beside her shook with fright and Julia smiled at him reassuringly; he was just lad really, barely out of training. The officer nodded gratefully, brushing floppy brown hair out of his wide eyes and wiping beads of nervous sweat from his brow. His eyes were hazel...

_Hazel. Like Matthew's eyes._

"Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight! He failed to pass it onto a successor before he died so we_ must_ go and get him back!"

Julia turned back to the scene before her, thrusting unwanted thoughts of her fiancé languishing in a filthy cell away for the moment. She tried to concentrate on the man who was speaking, an imposing pirate with a large hat...

**BANG!**

She had missed the cue. Mercer swore at her as the screen collapsed and the agents leapt forward, firing furiously into the crowd of pirates.

Julia drew her sword and charged into the fray, where she was immediately attacked by one of Sao Feng's armed bath attendants. Her opponent, a pretty woman whose name she remembered as Lian, soon broke away to defend her sister, Park, who was struggling with a young girl in a blue robe, and Julia suddenly found herself crossing blades with the hat-wearing pirate. She saw a spark of amusement in his steely blue eyes and felt her insides dissolve with a cold, irrational rage as she launched herself at him again and again. He easily parried her attack with a singular blend of grace and brutality before darting into the brawl after his companions. Julia whirled around and bashed at a thickset warrior in blind fury until she caught sight of Mercer, signalling for her to follow those who had escaped the chamber. She nodded curtly, thrust her sword into her opponent's ribs and sprinted along the corridor in the direction of her escaping foe. Almost immediately Julia spotted the navy feather of his hat and cut her way through towards him. He was outside, on a nearby bridge, fighting the young agent she had comforted earlier. She gasped as he quickly dispatched the poor lad and shoved his victim's body into the dank water below, before turning to her with a triumphant grin.

Julia wiped her mouth with a clenched fist and flew at him, scowling as their blades met in a bone-rattling clash. Her opponent's eyes glittered with amusement as she came at him again and again, "Beckett's sendin' women and children to fight us? To fight_ me_?"

She spat at his feet, ducking beneath his blows as he lunged into her attack, "Well, I don't believe _Lord_ Beckett has ever mentioned _you_ so...wait, just who the hell _are_ you anyway?" Using Beckett's title in front of one of her own made Julia feel even more like a traitor than before but the sheer arrogance of this person was infuriating. _Maddening_ even.

She was completely blinded by rage now, her strokes wild and desperate, and the man seemed to realise this. His next move took her by surprise and he pressed this advantage, sending her spiralling into the dirt with a sudden charge of his shoulder. Before Julia realised what had happened she was on the ground, winded and sweating. The pirate grinned, placing a large, dirty boot on her stomach to hold her down as she struggled to regain her footing.

"_Captain_ Hector Barbossa, at yer service miss."


	3. Exposed

**Exposed  
**

"Well?" Barbossa grinned down at his quarry as she spluttered and gasped at his feet, "Might I have the pleasure of yer name, before I run ye through?" Julia glared back at him, her eyes fixed upon his pistol, "Why should I tell you? So you can add me to your list of victims?"

_Egotistical bastard._

"There's been too many to count and I see no reason to start now, my girl. Not with you," Barbossa laughed and, having kicked the young woman's sword away, reached out a hand to help her up. She eyed it suspiciously before reluctantly allowing him to haul her to her feet.

"Julia. Julia Claremont."

Barbossa's smile vanished as the cuff of one dirty sleeve rode up to reveal a mark upon the flesh beneath. His eyes hardened and, without warning, he began to tear at the frayed material, ignoring Julia's shrieks of indignation and the blows she aimed at his head.

There it was, pale and bold against her tanned skin...

_The brand of a pirate. _

He stared at it for a moment, disbelief and disgust colouring his hoarse voice as he ran a finger across the livid scar, "Yer...yer a _pirate_...a pirate working fer the East India Company..." She looked away, her face reddening beneath the dim lights of the harbour. This man was nothing to her, no one to pass judgement upon her life, and yet his words still held the power to make her flush and twist in shame.

"Workin' against yer own people!" Barbossa spat, his grip tightening around her wrist, "Traitorous wretch!" Julia winced in pain, blinking away tears as he forced her to the ground again.

"Barbossa!"

Julia turned to see the young couple from Sao Feng's chamber hurrying over towards them, followed by several more of their allies. Barbossa released her for a moment, now focused on what the black-haired youth was carrying in his arms.

"Turner! Ye have the charts!"

The lad nodded and grinned, pointing at a elegant vessel behind them, "And better yet - a ship and a crew! But..." his eyes shifted to Julia, who was watching the exchange with growing interest, "Who is this? I didn't think we were taking on prisoners."

Barbossa's frown returned, "We ain't, but I think we should make an exception in this case. This _thing_ is one of the Company's spies. She could be useful, should she know anything of Beckett's plans, or should we require leverage to bargain with."

_Leverage? __She couldn't be their leverage! She had to save Matthew!_

Julia screamed silently, hating Barbossa and his crew more with each moment in his company. The woman, a beautiful creature with a pinched face and dirty blonde hair, was staring at her with something akin to pity in her dark eyes. Julia scowled at her, glad of an excuse to release a little of the fury building inside her, "What're you staring at then?"

The Turner boy started forward angrily, "Don't you speak to Elizabeth like that!"

"It's okay, Will..." Elizabeth frowned at him and turned her attention towards their newly acquired ship, followed by some of the crew. Will gazed after her somewhat sadly before tossing the charts to Barbossa. "Sao Feng's getting his men together. He'll meet with us once we've freed Jack."

Barbossa nodded, reclaiming Julia's now aching wrist, "Well, we'd best get a move on. It's likely that Beckett has more men stationed here and the last thing we need is another run-in like that." He began to drag her towards the ship. Will Turner walked beside them, glaring distrustfully at the captive.

"Are you sure bringing her aboard is a good idea?"

"Who's the Captain here? She's _my_ prisoner. If she gives us any trouble I'll spill her guts and throw her over the side!" Barbossa shot back, pushing Julia up the gangplank. "Like you did to that boy?" she muttered, remembering the young agent before her thoughts went back to Matthew, alone in his cell. The older pirate didn't seem to have heard her - either that or he just didn't give a damn - and Julia looked out over the harbour, wondering how she could escape...and what fate awaited her fiancé if she could not.

_I will come back for you, my love...I promise._

**a/n Thanks to my lovely reviewers and fellow Hector fans East Coastie1500, Lady Barbossa329 and Barbossa'sgirl5.**


	4. A Matter of Leverage

**A Matter of Leverage  
**

Mr. Mercer and Lord Beckett stood side by side on-board the_ HMS Endeavour_. There was much to discuss; the behaviour of the 'loose cannon' Davy Jones, the problem of how to dispose of Governor Swann without arousing suspicion...and, of course, the Company's misadventure in Singapore.

"So...they all escaped?" Beckett inquired coldly.

"We were outnumbered sir, but everything else is going to plan. Sao Feng is joining the scum and he's agreed to hand them over when we catch up, in return for the _Black Pearl_." Mercer replied evenly.

Beckett smiled, "Good. You are not completely incompetent. And upon that note, I shall want Miss Swann and Sparrow brought to me alive...oh, and under _no_ circumstances are you to hand that ship over to Sao Feng. Do I make myself clear?" Mercer nodded curtly, his heart sinking as his master brought up the very topic he had been dreading.

"And what of our Miss Claremont, was her information correct? Come to think of it, where exactly is she? I have not seen her since your return."

"Well...you see, my Lord...the pirates...they took her - Barbossa and his crew, I mean."

Beckett's icy eyes widened slightly but otherwise his neutral expression did not change, "I see. And did she go willingly?"

"I don't think so, my Lord."

"And for what purpose did they take her?"

Mercer swallowed, looking uncharacteristically nervous, "My sources tell me that Barbossa spoke of leverage."

Beckett laughed aloud at this, "How delightful! I do so love their pathetic attempts to goad me! Well, if Barbossa thinks he can blackmail me using the whore he is sorely mistaken. She knows nothing that could jeopardise our plans, I trust?" He glanced inquiringly at Mercer and laughed again when the mercenary shook his head.

"Good. My only regret is that we did away with our own means of leverage; now that Miss Clare is in the company of our enemies we could have used the poor fellow to barter information from her."

Mercer chuckled deviously, "Aye, but she doesn't know that, does she?"

Beckett's smile broadened, "No, she does not. And let's hope it stays that way."

**x X x  
**

It was cold in the brig of the _Hai Peng_. Cold and bloody cramped.

Julia shivered and cursed Hector Barbossa under her breath as she hugged her knees to her chest, watching the tiny snowflakes drifting down from the deck above. _Where the hell were they anyway? _She coughed, footsteps on the stairs distracting her from her misery.

"Who's there?" She leapt to her feet, hand on her dagger, hoping that it was Barbossa and that he would come close enough to the bars for her to stab a hole in his black heart.

"Put it away girl, ya've nothin' to fear from me."

It was the voodoo priestess, Tia Dalma. She approached the cell and smiled, showing her blackened teeth, as she handed Julia a blanket and a bottle of rum, "To keep de col' out."

"Thank you," Julia took them with a grudging gratitude and sat down on the bench, looking up at the strange, grinning woman, "What's so funny?"

Tia Dalma chuckled, "Ahh, ya got spirit girl! Spirit an' a lot o' nerve...jus' like witty Jack said."

"Jack Sparrow? What did he say about me? How do you know him?"

The mystic ignored her questions and continued to speak in her lilting, musical tongue. "Aye, Jack has told me much about you...an' I know it to be true. I knew it from de moment I saw you," she smiled again and winked at the shivering prisoner, "You are no traitor...that is not yer destiny."

Intrigued, Julia came forward to the bars, her voice barely above a whisper, "Then what is? What is my destiny?"

Tia Dalma shook her head, her ice-encrusted dreadlocks flying, "I kin not see it...only you know what be de right path to follow." Suddenly, above their heads, someone began to call her name, "I mus' go now. Do not lose heart chile." With that she turned and hurried back up to the main deck, long skirts hoisted above her bare ankles. Julia sighed and sat back down, the bottle of rum in her hands. She had barely got herself in a comfortable position under the dirty blanket when, again, loud footsteps rang out on the stairwell.

"Claremont!"

Julia scowled at this new interruption. It was Will Turner, looking extremely cold and harassed as he skidded across the icy boards.

"Claremont, Barbossa says you're to come up on deck...and hurry!" he gabbled, tossing her the keys before disappearing again. Julia just caught them with frozen fingers and glanced down at the bottle of rum sadly.

"I wonder what they want me for."

**a/n Sorry about Tia Dalma's dire accent.**


	5. A Touch of Destiny

**A Touch of Destiny  
**

The cold. It seized Julia the moment she emerged from below deck, chilling her to the very bones.

"Bugger me, it's freezing!" she gasped, staring out at the bleak, empty ocean as the ship glided gracefully through countless icebergs. Elizabeth, huddled beneath a blanket in the corner, looked up at her and smiled with frozen lips but Julia ignored her and made straight for Barbossa, who was at the helm.

"Well, here I am. What do you want with me?" Julia demanded, irritated further by the fact that her sword was hanging on his belt by his own. Barbossa rolled his eyes and steered violently around a rogue glacier, which seemed to loomed ahead of them out of thin air, "Mr Turner, get this _thing_ out of my way before I give her somethin' to really whine about!" He continued to grapple with the helm, seemingly oblivious to her indignant expression.

"I'll only ask you once more, then I'm going to forcibly remove my sword from your person and dismember you." Barbossa took his eyes from the sea before him for a moment and Julia smiled triumphantly. She finally had his attention, "What do you want with me?"

"Cold's taken a few of our good men. We need an extra hand up here. We might as well put ye to some use, seeing as yer here," he replied evenly, "An' I suggest ye save yer sharp tongue fer Miss Swann, otherwise ye'll feel the back of me hand." Julia's mouth opened and closed as she tried - and failed - to come up with a witty rebuke before she finally threw her hands up and stalked away to make herself 'useful.'

"What can I do?" she asked Will, who was pouring over a strange looking map and looked extremely stressed. He looked up at her and nodded towards the chair opposite his, "Right Claremont, you can sit down and help me work this bloody thing out!" His voice cracked in an attempt to sound authoritarian and, with a roll of her eyes, Julia flopped onto the cold bench.

"Firstly," she replied, "Call me Julia. And secondly, would you mind telling me why Jack Sparrow is in the Locker? What has the bloody idiot done this time?" Barbossa chuckled with sudden delight at her outburst and Elizabeth frowned, burying her head deeper beneath the blanket. Will shot a concerned look at his fiancée before answering the question and Julia watched the silent exchange with growing interest; if she knew Jack Sparrow as well as she thought she did, he was obviously the reason for the tension between this young couple.

"Well, as you probably know, Jack's soul was forfeit to Davy Jones, in return for thirteen years as Captain of the_ Black Pearl_. He was called upon to pay his debt and, when he resisted Jones' attempts to claim what was owed, he was pulled down by the Kraken, along with the ship."

"An' now we need him back unfortunately. He's one o' the nine Pirate Lords. We'll need his help if we are to wage a war against Beckett," Barbossa put in.

Will nodded before turning back to Julia, "How do you know Jack?"

"I first met Jack in Tortuga, eight or so years ago," Julia said airily, enjoying the attention, "He was a frequent visitor to the tavern I worked in. My mate Scarlett introduced us and we hit it off straight away, became good friends..." She shot a look of disgust at Barbossa, "Come to think about it, he told me all about_ you_. Mutinous bastard."

Barbossa laughed and bowed lowly, "Flattery will get ye nowhere, I'm afraid."

Julia replied by pulling a face, which made two of the crew members - a squat creature named Pintel and his companion, the gangly, one-eyed Ragetti - giggle nervously. "Nowhere is exactly where I want to be as far as you're concerned. I just want this all over and done with so I can get to Port Royal as soon as possible."

"Why? What business do you have in Port Royal?" Elizabeth asked suddenly, her dark eyes bright with curiosity.

Julia looked down at her lap, picturing Matthew. She suddenly felt warm inside; thinking of him made this all seem worthwhile. "_Unfinished_ business," she replied simply. Barbossa frowned and, standing at the bow of the ship, her back turned to the bickering company, Tia Dalma smiled mysteriously.

_A touch of destiny..._

**a/n Much thanks and love to my reviewers - glad you're enjoying it! **


	6. Whispers in the Brig

**Whispers in the Brig  
**

Night aboard the _Hai Peng. _The ship drifted silently across the black ocean, through ice and snow and the shining reflections of stars.

Unfortunately, Julia Claremont could not appreciate the beauty of this beautiful scene. She was back in the brig, by Captain Barbossa's orders. Their uneasy truce had not lasted long. However, she was not alone; Elizabeth Swann had stolen down from the deck to speak with her. Despite the initial animosity Julia had shown towards her, the young woman felt that there something more between them. A sort of understanding. She was eager to find out more about the mysterious pirate and, perhaps if she told her problems to this stranger, she would feel better about what she had done to Jack...

_And to Will..._

"I know what it's like, you know," Elizabeth's tense voice was barely more than a whisper in the darkness, almost inaudible beneath the noise from the others above them. "What's that?" Julia, in comparison, sounded morose, bored, and more than just a little irritated by her companion.

"I mean...I know what it's like to feel like a traitor. To feel guilty."

The bench creaked as Julia sat up, intrigued by this statement, "What are you talking about?"

"You see...well, _Jack_...he..."

Julia broke in with a bitter laugh, "Ah, so that's it! Well, Jack always was a dab hand at _that_. Let me give you a little advice, miss - never fall in love with a Sparrow. He'll only fly away and leave you when the mood takes him."

Surprisingly, Elizabeth replied with a dry chuckle, "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not in _love_ with Jack, though I suppose you're not the only one who thinks so. I _killed _him!" The silence that followed was deafening and when Julia finally spoke her voice was doubtful, as if she was unsure whether she had heard correctly.

"What did you say?"

"I killed Jack Sparrow. He didn't _choose_ to go down with his ship; I chained him to the mast," Elizabeth paused to sip from the bottle of rum, "I chained him to the mast so that the rest of us would have a chance to escape."

"I see," Julia didn't know what to say but she was now almost certain that Elizabeth was slightly insane, "And you think I feel guilty too?"

"Yes, for betraying your kind. For siding with Beckett," Elizabeth watched Julia swig off the last of the rum with a sort of desperation in her eyes.

"You're wrong there," Julia was now on her feet, "I don't regret anything. I did it for the man I love, so that he could be free and we could be together again. You'd do the same for Will, wouldn't you?"

_That's just the thing_, thought Elizabeth suddenly, _I'd do anything for him...but I'm not even sure that he still loves me.  
_

"Yes," she answered, thrusting the dark thoughts to the back of her mind, "Yes, of course I would."

Julia sidled closer the bars and opened her mouth to speak but, just at that moment, Mr Gibbs appeared at the head of the stairs. "Miss Elizabeth, you're needed up on deck...d'you need another bottle, Julia?"

She laughed and waved the empty one jovially, "Aye, seeing as it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere at the moment."

Elizabeth rose to her feet and turned to Julia with a slight smile. "Thank you. For listening, I mean..." she paused and the smile became broader, "And for the advice on Jack. I'll keep that in mind!"

Julia smiled and watched as the young woman hurried up onto the deck. Perhaps there was more to Elizabeth Swann than she had first thought.


	7. Heading for Trouble

**Heading for Trouble  
**

"Claremont!"

Having just settled down into the corner of the stinking brig to sleep, Julia groaned as Captain Barbossa came hurtling down the stairs with the grace of a crazed elephant.

"What? For god's sake what do you want with me now?"

"Don't take that tone with me lass, get up here now! We need an extra hand," Barbossa disappeared again, leaving her with the keys as she cursed and spat.

_Bloody cheek! The bastard has a nerve to ask me for help after locking me back in this rotten cell!_

She stomped up to the deck, shoving the keys into the hands of a bewildered Pintel, before getting entangled into yet another argument with the increasingly agitated Barbossa. The journey had not mellowed his temperament, nor had it softened him in his dealings with Julia.

"If I tell ye to get up the crow's nest, ye jump to it lass!" he growled ferociously as she rolled her eyes.

Strangely, most of the crew seemed to have vanished. Will, Elizabeth and Tia Dalma had moved to the prow of the _Hai Peng_ and the others - Pintel, Ragetti and Gibbs in particular - were pretending to be busy, whilst eavesdropping on the heated exchange between their Captain and his hostage.

"I will not! I _won't_ go up there and you can't _make_ me!"

"And why the bloody hell not?"

"Because...because I'm scared of heights, okay!" Ragetti sniggered at this but was quickly silenced by a stony glare from Barbossa, who then turned back to Julia, a slight smile tugging at his lips, "Nice try. Now get up there before I-"

"I'm being serious!" Julia's face was bright red with anger and shame, "I'm just...I'm just not very good with heights. That's all."

Barbossa was about to reply when Will interrupted, shouting to be heard over a distant roaring which Julia had not noticed before. The sound seemed to be growing louder by the moment.

"Barbossa, ahead!"

The Captain grinned, looking pleased with himself, "Aye, we're good and lost now!"

"Lost?" Julia and Will glanced at each other uneasily whilst Barbossa looked both exasperated and amused at their confusion.

"For sure, ye have to be lost to find a place that can't be found, elseways _everyone_ would know where it was!" Will looked skywards as if praying for help - or patience - and Julia shook her head in amazement. "He's mad!" she exclaimed to Tia Dalma, who was hurrying up to them along with Elizabeth, "Are you sure you didn't leave most of his brain behind when you brought him back to life?"

"We're gaining speed!" Will yelled, "To starboard stations! All hands to stations!"

Julia and Elizabeth were just about to follow these gabbled instructions when Barbossa bellowed in his most commanding tone, "Nay belay that! Let her run straight and true!"

"Make up your bloody mi-" Julia broke off, her eyes widening as she spotted just what had spooked Will, "Oh God!"

They were headed right for a huge waterfall!


	8. Over the Edge

**Over the Edge  
**

Through the mists, ever faster, the _Hai Peng_ sped towards the waterfall, taking the pirates closer to their deaths with each terrifying moment.

"You've doomed us all!" hissed Elizabeth to the grinning Barbossa.

Julia scowled as she began to hastily secure the hatches. "It's no use blaming anyone now!" she yelled furiously, trying to keep her head amidst the chaos, "Stop wasting time!" Still smirking, the Captain ignored the protests of both women, and instead reached out to grasp Elizabeth's jaw with strong, filthy fingers, "Don't be so unkind! Ye may not survive to pass this way again and these be the last friendly words ye'll hear!" With a grimace, she broke free and hurried to help Will, who was struggling with the helm.

Barbossa cackled at her discomfort and, with the agility of a man half his age, leapt up onto the side of the ship, where he began lashing loose ropes from the sails to his wrists.

"What are you doing?" Julia screamed over the howling wind and shouts of the crew, "Take the helm!" Barbossa only grinned, nodding towards the frothing waters ahead, "Gettin' ready to face _that_! I suggest ye do the same - unless ye want to see what hell looks like earlier than planned!"

Suddenly the ship lurched forward, it's front half gliding over the waterfall, and Julia yelped as she grabbed out for something -_ anything_ - to prevent her from falling to her doom. "I hate heights, I hate heights, _I bloody hate heights!_" she muttered through clenched teeth, her stomach churning.

"Careful there, lassie!" Gibbs bellowed from nearby. She managed to catch hold of the rigging and quickly imitated Barbossa's method, watching the Captain's smug expression as they hurtled over the edge. She closed her eyes and bit her lip to hold back the screams which were threatening to erupt from her dry throat. Around her the crew members shrieked, all apart from Barbossa, who was roaring with maniac laughter.

"Have you gone mad?!" Julia yelled, furious that he had bested her yet again.

His gleeful reply was lost in the darkness and the thunder of the waves above their heads.


	9. A Grand Entrance

**A Grand Entrance  
**

Julia fell for what seemed like forever, into the gloom at the end of the world.

_Matthew, I'm sorry..._

Thoughts raced in time with her pounding heart, the shrieks of her crew mates echoing around her and melting into shocked silence as they plunged into the cold, darkness There was nothing, nothing but debris swirling beneath the waves and bodies and a silent scream trying to escape her lungs as they slowly began to fill with salty water...

And then...daylight! Air! Julia broke the surface with a gasp and found herself gazing at an island, a bleak landscape looming from the cerulean ocean, littered with the wreckage of what had once been the proud _Hai Peng_. She could see figures, every bit as bedraggled and wet as she was, bobbing in the waves ahead of her and emerging, coughing and spluttering, onto the beach.

"Julia! Over here!" A sodden Ragetti yelled from the water's edge, reaching down to help her up as she crawled from the water. Elizabeth followed, scanning the desolate landscape with wide eyes whilst Barbossa glared up at the beaming sun and tilted the brim of his hat. "This truly is a God-forsaken place!" Gibbs commented miserably.

"Wh-what now?" Julia coughed, shading her eyes with her hand.

Barbossa turned to her and reached out to deftly pluck a strand of green seaweed from her tangled curls,"We wait...and, if the drunken fool doesn't turn up, we go and find him."

Elizabeth staggered up to them, "I don't see Jack. I don't see _anyone_."

The Captain rolled his eyes, "He's here I tell ye! Davy Jones never once gave up that what he took."

Clearly unimpressed by both their situation and Barbossa's behaviour towards Elizabeth, Will cut in, his voice curt and harsh, "And does it matter? We're trapped here by_ your_ doing!"

Julia groaned inwardly. Would these idiots ever stop arguing? "It's done now! There's no going back now, and if we stay here there's a chance we'll die from this blasted heat! We may as well start searching."

"Yes, but_ where_?" Elizabeth asked in an exasperated tone, "He could be _anywhere!_"

Julia turned to Barbossa for an answer but it was Tia Dalma, suddenly surrounded by dozens of strange white crabs, who replied. A mysterious smile played over the mystic's full lips as she gazed into the distance, "Witty Jack...is closah den ye t'ink!" Pintel raised an eyebrow and Tai Huang, one of Sao Feng's men, pointed up with a shaking finger towards a dark shape rising over the sand dunes; the _Black Pearl_, with her Captain standing proudly at the mast!

"Jack!"


	10. A Happy Reunion?

**A Happy Reunion?  
**

"Slap me thrice and hand me to me mama! It's Jack!" gasped Gibbs. Julia and Barbossa grinned at each other, momentarily united in the face of their triumph. Gracefully, the magnificent ship glided on a wave of crabs, entering the ocean with an almost joyful splash. The pirates stood gaping in shocked silence at the _Pearl_ until Jack arrived on shore, surveying them with a mixture of amusement and disgust.

Gibbs laughed in delight and hurried towards his Captain, closely followed by Tia Dalma. As Julia watched, Elizabeth started forward eagerly, only to stop short, her smile fading as she glanced guiltily back at Will. Meanwhile, Barbossa, pushing past Gibbs and the others, and stomped over to break up the happy little reunion.

"Jack Sparra!"

Jack beamed in unaffected glee as he spotted his former First Mate, "Hector! It's been too long!" Barbossa seemed taken back by Jack's even stranger than usual behaviour, but quickly recovered and smiled cynically, "Aye. Isla de Muerta, remember? Ye shot me."

Jack's grin broadened, "No I didn't...ah! Tia Dalma!" He greeted the mystic warmly before clapping eyes on Julia, who was shaking her head slowly at her old friend's antics.

"Jules!"

She grinned and held out her arms, "Trust you to make such a grand entrance! Show-off!"

"You're a sight for sore eyes, my girl!" he lifted her up and shook her, "I don't suppose you've any rum tucked away, have you?" His face fell as his avid search revealed nothing remotely alcoholic. Julia laughed, thinking of the full bottle she had left in the brig.

"Sorry Jack, I could do with a drop myself."

Will's voice cut through her laughter, "He thinks we're a hallucination." Jack dropped Julia unceremoniously onto the sand and strutted over to the young lad.

"William, tell me somethin'..." he paced before him, looking ever more frustrated, "Have you come because you need my help to save a certain distressin' damsel? Or... rather damsel in distress?"

"No," replied Will curtly. Jack was already starting to annoy him.

"Well, then you wouldn't be here, would you? So you can't be here! Q.E.D. - you're not really here!"

He stalked away as Julia raised an eyebrow and mouthed _Q.E.D?_ at Barbossa, who shrugged. Elizabeth groaned and pushed her way through towards Jack, "Jack! This is real! We're here." At the sight of her Jack's mouth dropped open and he backed away, his eyes widening as she followed him, "We came to rescue you!"

Brushing off his unease, Jack laughed, "Oh, really? Well, seeing as I possess a ship and you don't, it looks as though you're the ones in need of rescuing and I'm not sure if I'm in the mood to-" Barbossa cut in, pointing with a dirty finger towards the _Pearl_, floating serenely on the still seas.

"I see my ship. Right there."

Jack squinted in the direction, "Sorry mate, can't spot it. Must be a tiny thing hiding behind the_ Pearl_." He turned with an impudent grin before hurrying off in the opposite direction, followed by Will and the others.

"Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones, he controls the _Flying Dutchman_!"

"He's taking over the sea!" Elizabeth added.

Tia Dalma clutched his arm, "De song has already been sung! De Brethren Court is called!"

Jack continued to saunter away," I leave you people alone for just a minute look what happens, everything's gone to pot!"

"We need you Jack," Julia beseeched him as Barbossa rolled his eyes and Pintel and Ragetti nodded fervently.

"Aye, the world needs ye back somethin' fierce!" agreed Gibbs.

"And you need a crew!

At this Jack whirled around to face them, "Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past, one of you succeeded." He nodded at Elizabeth, who reddened and looked down at her feet. The others turned to her, eyes wide, and Julia gasped. So she _had _killed him! Will looked shocked, but also a little relieved. Like Julia, he had obviously thought his fiancée was in love with Jack.

Realising no one knew the truth about his death, Jack grinned broadly, "Oh, she's not told you. You'll have loads to talk about while you're here! As for you..." He paused in front of Tia Dalma, who smiled seductively up at him.

"Now don't tell me ye didn't enjoy it...at de time."

"Fair enough!" Jack Sparrow laughed and winked saucily at her, before continuing down the row of pirates, eyeing them shrewdly, "You're in! Don't need you, you scare me...Gibbs, you can come. Marty, Cotton, Julia, of course...who are you?"

"Tai Huang. These are my men," the leader of Sao feng's sailors answered.

"And where does your allegiance lie?"

Julia listened to the exchange with little interest. She was exhausted. Now she had done her part, perhaps she could get back to Port Royal and save Matthew. "Weigh anchor all hands. Prepare to make sail!" Jack barked. She followed him towards the edge of the water, wondering briefly what Will, Elizabeth, Barbossa, Pintel and Ragetti were going to do. Surely Jack couldn't leave them in the Locker?

"But Jack, what about-"

"Shhh!" he waved a hand at her impatiently as he glared down at his compass, which was spinning madly. Julia frowned - what was wrong with it? Wasn't it supposed to be a magic compass? He had boasted about it enough over the years.

"The bloody stupid thing! How am I supposed to get us out of here when it's-"

"Oh, Jaack..."

They turned to see Barbossa standing behind them along with the other rejected pirates. He was grinning smugly as he drummed his fingers on the charts in his arms.

"Which way ye goin' Jack?"


	11. Two Captains

**Two Captains  
**

"He's in a strop now."

Grinning triumphantly, Barbossa nodded towards a petulant Jack, who was sitting with his back to the others. Julia sighed and shuffled in her seat; she wished they would row faster. The sooner she was aboard the _Pearl_ and on her way to Port Royal the better!

"I wish you wouldn't goad him."

"Well, at least he's quiet," Barbossa muttered, rising to his feet as their small boat came alongside the barnacled hull of the great ship. Jack boarded first, scrambling up to the deck with a nimbleness to match that of his old First Mate's pet monkey. He was followed by Gibbs and then Julia, who didn't feel quite as at ease in her tight breeches. Especially with Barbossa behind her.

Sure enough, she soon heard him cackle as he mounted the ladder, rousing raucous laughter from Ragetti and Pintel, "Now that, lads, is a what I call a sight fer sore eyes!"

"They'll be more than just sore when I'm finished with you," she shot back as a frowning Gibbs helped her over the side.

Barbossa did not deign to reply, only began to bark orders as soon as his boots touched the deck, "Trim that sail! Slack windward brace and sheet!" Jack rushed over to join him and began to bellow the same things in an effort to reclaim control. Barbossa prodded his rival in the chest, "What are ye doin'?"

"What are you doing?"

"No what _are _ye doin'?"

"What are _you_ doing?"

"No, what _are_ ye doin'?"

"What are _you_ doing? The Captain gives orders on the ship!" Jack declared, his hands on his hips as the others gaped at them.

Barbossa rolled his eyes, "The Captain of this ship_ is_ givin' orders!"

"My ship, that makes_ me_ Captain!"

"These be _my _charts!"

"So? That makes you Chart-Man!"

Julia shook her head and made her way away from the bickering pirates to stand next to Tia Dalma, who was watching the Locker as it shrank into the distance. "Well, we've got him back. Now what do we do? Where do we go?"

The mystic turned to gaze out at the seemingly endless ocean before them, "We must find a way to get back to de wurld of de livin', and soon."

Julia sighed, "Sounds easy. Looks like they've stopped fighting, for now anyway." She hurried over to Jack, who was now fiddling with his telescope, "What have you done to the damned thing?"

"It's stuck!" he explained miserably, tucking it back into one of his many pockets, "Why did you have to bring Hector bloody Barbossa with you? And the whelp and his precious murderess?"

"It wasn't my idea! They just-"

"Oh never-mind, at least I'm off that godforsaken island. Anyway," Jack's frown became a charming smile, "How's my cousin? Treatin' him well, are you?"

"Well, probably better than the East India Company are, seeing he's been Lord Beckett's prisoner for almost a year," she replied curtly, turning away from him. What did Jack care? He only ever bothered with Matthew when he wanted something from him, or was in trouble. Which was often enough. Jack groaned and put a comforting arm around her shoulder, "I'm sorry Jules, but don't let it get you down lassie. He's a Sparrow, that's got to count for something! You'll get him back soon enough. And anyway...on the subject of blokes...you better watch out for him." He indicated Barbossa with a heavily bejewelled finger.

"Why?"

"Because..." Jack grinned broadly, "He fancies you!"


	12. What Now?

**What Now?  
**

"_What?_"

Jack grinned saucily, "I saw the way he was staring at you back on the beach!"

"Don't be daft!" chortled Julia, shaking her head, "Barbossa _hates_ me. If he didn't think I'd come in useful he'd have done away with me back in Singapore. He's made it quite clear that if I annoy him I'm as good as dead." She glanced up at the older pirate, who was roaring orders at a startled looking Ragetti, and remembered something Gibbs had said to her in Tortuga long ago...

_"Aye Miss Claremont, he may be known as the gentleman buccaneer but he's not a man to trifle with. He'd slit your throat just as soon as look at you."_

"Jules?"

Jack's voice, both concerned and amused, snapped her back to reality and she smiled, feeling suddenly light headed, "Oh..._erm_...sorry Jack. I was just-"

He waved away her excuses with a laugh, "You're losing it darlin'! Better lay off the rum for awhile. You're supposed to be the sane one, remember?"

Julia opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted by an irate Elizabeth, who was hauling several kegs of gunpowder towards the open hatch, "I'd appreciate a little help here, if it's not too much trouble!" Her loud voice cut across the deck and alerted Barbossa, who scowled in Julia's direction.

"Claremont, get yer arse in gear!" Julia bit her lip and snatched some of the containers from Elizabeth, who was frowning at a frightened looking Jack.

"Oo-er! Jules, let me give you a hand with that!" he stuttered, backing away from the so-called murderess.

"Not so fast Sparrow!" bellowed Barbossa, hurrying down to collar his rival, "We've got things to do!" Jack seemed to shrink into his battered boots as he grudgingly allowed himself to be dragged up to the poop deck.

"Things?" he inquired nervously, his dark eyes flitting desperately to Julia, who was filled with curiosity, "What things?"

Barbossa rolled his eyes, "Figurin' out Sao Feng's map fer a start! What are ye gawpin' at, Claremont?" Julia shrugged and hoisted the net of kegs over her shoulder.

_She hoped they'd hurry up! The sooner they were out of the Locker, the better!_


	13. Bittersweet Memories

**Bittersweet Memories  
**

_The Bloody Quill Inn, Tortuga. A pit of scum forgotten by God, favoured by the very dregs of mankind. _

_Well, that's how Julia Claremont saw it anyway. _

_Day in day out she served pints, scrubbed the floor and, on occasion, sold her body for a a pittance. A far cry from her dreams of sailing the open ocean on a grand ship but still, it was a living. "Jules!" Scarlett's voice echoed through to the bar, "Jules, come and get this bloody idiot off me plea-ase!" Julia groaned and threw down the tankard she was cleaning. In the back room Scarlett was lying on a filthy mattress with her beau, who had passed out on top of her. _

_"Jack Sparrow, drunk again!" _

_With the help of Joshamee Gibbs, a regular customer, Julia managed to drag the inert pirate into a chair whilst Scarlett pulled down her skirts and reached for a nearby bottle of rum. "Thanks darlin'," the heavily made up woman glanced at her friend, who had flopped onto the mattress beside her, "You look worn out."_

_"I am," Julia sighed, "But this place ain't gonna run itself...and you're not much help." She sighed and trudged back through to the bar room, where things were getting a little out of hand. A young man sitting on a rickety stool grinned at her as she evicted a pair of brawling whores. _

_"Busy tonight?" he inquired, his hazel eyes sparkling._

_"You have no idea," she sighed, handing him a glass of gin._

_"And I doubt my fool of a cousin is helping much," he indicated Jack, who had staggered into the bar. Julia raised an eyebrow._

_"Sparrow's your cousin?"_

_The young man nodded with a exasperated smile and she laughed, "Don't suppose you'd give me a hand here?"_

_He shook his head and suddenly grabbed her hand, "No, but why don't you leave the work to the lazy cow in the back and come with me?" Julia laughed scornfully, taking in his boyish smile and firm grip with shrewd eyes. _

_"I'm not on the game tonight, sorry." _

_"Don't be stupid, I don't mean...never mind," he paused with a charming grin, "You had any experience on ships?" _

**x X x**

**Six years later**

_Julia basked in the sunlight, enjoying the stinging wind and the spray of the sea against her ruddy cheeks. Life aboard the _Jezebel_ was wonderful. She couldn't imagine ever going back to work in that seedy, little tavern. _

_"Jules! Take the helm!" Captain Walker called from the doorway of his cabin. Matthew was sitting on a crate near the hatches, peeling a potato and humming a popular sea shanty. "Julia? What's wrong?" he got to his feet, concerned at the frown which had suddenly replaced her smile._

_She nodded towards a blot on the horizon. Another ship, speeding steadily towards them, "What d'you think? Friend or foe?" __Before Matthew could respond, Captain Walker appeared and began to draw out his telescope._

_"Shit!" _

_On the lower deck the rest of the crew paused to glance up at their Captain, who thrust the spyglass back into his coat, his expression sour._

_"What is it?"_

_"East India bastards, by the look of it. There's naval officers aboard too. Shit!" _

_Suddenly there was a loud crash as the mast behind them collapsed under the weight of a speeding cannonball. Julia hit the deck, Matthew covering her body with his own..._

_And everything went black..._


	14. An Unexpected Loss

**An Unexpected Loss  
**

"Jules? _Julia_!"

Julia awoke on with a jolt to find Gibbs shaking her gently, his whiskered face twisted with concern, "Are ye okay?"

"Y-yes...yes, why wouldn't I be?" she stretched, rubbed her slightly stiff neck and glanced up at the starry sky, "I'm just tired, that's all."

Gibbs nodded, though he did not look convinced, "You cried out in your sleep, frightened the life out of me! Must've been dreamin', eh?" Julia shrugged, not trusting herself to speak. She knew what she had dreamt...

A sudden commotion from nearby gave her an excuse to gratefully slip away before he could question her further. On the deck below her Ragetti and Pintel were standing with Tia Dalma, gazing out at something in the ocean. Julia squinted into the darkness, her brown eyes slowly widening as she realised what was floating in the still waters.

_Boats?_

_What were boats doing out here in the Locker?_

The other pirates began to gather on the deck. Confused, Julia made her way over to stand by Tia Dalma, who was smiling serenely, her eyes distant and misty, "Wh-what are they doing here?" Before the mystic could answer Elizabeth cried out from behind her, excitedly pointing out a bewigged man in the nearest boat.

"It's my father! We've made it back! Father, look here!"

"Elizabeth..." Jack stepped out of the crowd, who were watching her in an uneasy silence, and caught her arm, "Elizabeth, we're not back." She gazed up at him, her smile dying as she realised the horrible truth and tried to fight it.

"Father!"

This time, Weatherby Swann glanced up at her in mild surprise, "Elizabeth? Is that you? Are you dead?" His daughter shook her head frantically and he smiled sadly, "Oh...I think I am."

"No! No - come aboard! Somebody cast a line!" Julia groaned inwardly, overwhelmed with pity for the girl as they watched her scrabbling around for a rope and listened to her father's awful tale. "There was this chest you see...and I learned that if you stabbed the heart, yours must take it's place. The Dutchman must have a Captain. Silly thing to die for really. But...I'm so proud of you darling..." Elizabeth was beginning to panic and tossed the rope desperately to him, her lips trembling furiously as he ignored it and continued to sail on, "I'll give your love to your mother, shall I?"

"NO! She must not leave de ship!" Tia Dalma bellowed as Elizabeth tried to climb overboard to reach him. Followed by the others, Will darted to her side and pulled her into his arms as she began to shriek loudly. Julia caught Barbossa's eye and he pulled his hat from his head in respect, watching the small boat disappear into the distance. Will too was gazing out at the poor spirits, his dark eyes desperate as he clung to his weeping fiancée.

"Is there a way?" he demanded.

Tia Dalma shook her head, "No. Him at peace."

**x X x**

Soon Elizabeth was resting in the cabin, sleeping fitfully with Will watching over her whilst the others moped around the deck. Things had gone from bad to worse and now the pirates were miserable, an imaginary cloud of death hovering over their heads. Julia sat upon the stairs where she had been dozing earlier, now wide awake, fearful of her dreams and racked with worry.

_What if they couldn't get out of here? Would they become like those lost souls, left to drift these bleak waters for eternity?_

"Penny fer yer thoughts?"

Julia glanced up at Barbossa, who was watching her from nearby with an enigmatic smile. "Surely they're worth a little more than that," she replied, stifling a yawn, "A shilling at least?"

He shrugged and made his way over to where she was sitting, "Don't push yer luck lassie. Yer walkin' a thin line, remember?" Julia was too tired to argue with him and suddenly she smiled as a random thought pushed into her hazy mind.

_He really is like a bear. A bear with a bad head and limp. _

"What are ye laughing at?" he growled, his blue eyes blazing, "Let's see if ye still find me funny when I run me sword through yer gullet!" She shook her head frantically, trying to subdue the giggles rising in her threatened throat.

"No, sorry...but I...I was just wondering..."

"What?"

"What happened to your leg?"

He looked confused, "Me leg? What's wrong with it?"

"You limp slightly. Why?"

Barbossa seemed taken back but recovered quickly and raised an eyebrow, "I don't reckon anyone's ever asked that before. I'd forgotten about it 'til now. It's just an old battle wound. I was young, inexperienced - big bastard sliced through me leg. The sawbones said I'd never walk again. Wanted to take it off at the knee." He paused and grinned at the memory, "I'd probably have died if I'd let him do it. Anyway...what about you?"

"Excuse me?"

The older pirate smiled, "What happened here?" He reached out to rub his calloused thumb over her nose. Julia flinched, uncomfortable with the sudden, intimate contact and her face reddened at the mention of that particular feature. It was aquiline with a high, curved bridge - a Roman nose, her mother had called it once - and Julia was extremely self-concious about it. She pulled away, resisting the urge to cover her face with her hand, "I broke it when I was a child. I was on my uncle's fishing boat and I fell over a lobster pot. And I broke it a second time about five years ago in Tortuga."

"What happened?"

"Some idiot punched me. Needless to say, he ended up worse off than I was."

Barbossa laughed and turned away, his smile fading as he surveyed the eerily still ocean that surrounded them, "We'll all be dead soon enough if we don't get out of here."

Julia shivered. Her nose, it appeared, was the least of her worries.


	15. On Mercer, Maps and Almost Drowning

**On Mercer, Maps and Almost Drowning  
**

Squinting slightly in the bright sunlight, Mercer climbed aboard the_ Empress_, flagship of Captain Sao Feng.

Lord Beckett had decided earlier that his top assassin should go ahead with the Singaporean pirates in order to keep a shrewd eye on the wily Pirate Lord, whilst he and the other East India officers followed on board the _Endeavour_. Mercer, however, was not happy with these arrangements. He felt that perhaps his employer was still holding the disastrous operation on the Pirate Lord's stronghold against him.

As complicated as the situation seemed to him, Mercer had to admit that everything seemed to be going quite smoothly, despite his own failure in Singapore. Will Turner and Sao Feng were both traitors, working secretly for the Company to achieve their own pathetic ends. They would ensure the pirates were safely restrained before Beckett arrived to claim them, along with the _Pearl_.

Mercer had specific orders from Beckett concerning the pirates; he wanted Jack Sparrow, along with his compass, and the others were to be taken alive. If possible. Mercer didn't plan on being too gentle with their enemies. After all, what was the point in going through so much trouble if they were just going to be executed back in Port Royal? He just couldn't wait to see them all hanging.

_Especially Sparrow and Claremont._

**xXx**

Joshamee Gibbs groaned miserably and shook the small flagon he always carried. It was empty.

"No rum..."

Slouched beside him, Pintel frowned, running his finger around the inside of a battered, old tankard, "Aye...an' no water either. What do we do now?"

Tia Dalma shook her head slowly, speaking as if to herself in a low voice as she stared out at the ocean, "If we cannot escape dez dahldroms by nightfall, I fear dat we will sail on trackless seas, doomed to roam de reach between worlds. Forever."

"With no water forever seems to be arrivin' a mite too soon."

As she listened from her perch near the swing guns, Julia bit her lip, "Cheery stuff..." Will's lips quirked into a shadow of a smile, which evaporated as he glanced over at Elizabeth, who was sitting on the stairs, her head in her hands. He got to his feet, concerned as her shoulders began to shake, but Julia stopped him, her firm but gentle hand on his arm, "Leave her be...she needs time alone with her memories. She needs time to think about him."

He nodded curtly and sat back down with a heavy sigh, his hard eyes on Barbossa, "Why doesn't he _do_ something?"

Gibbs shrugged, "What can he do? What can any of us do? I mean, that map's no help at all...over the edge...it's drivin' me over the bloody edge!"

Julia got to her feet and climbed up to the poop deck, where the two Captains were musing over the charts. Jack was sitting, running a dirty finger over it's engravings and mumbling, whilst an impatient Barbossa paced up and down.

"What?" he snapped at her as she opened her mouth to speak.

Julia scowled at him, trying to ignore Jack, who seemed to be arguing with himself, "I was wondering if you've found anything. It's just that...well, the others are getting restless. They think we're stuck here."

Barbossa threw his hands up in the air, "Well then miss, seeing as yer so bloody clever, why don't _you _take a look at the damned thing?"

Suddenly, Jack leapt to his feet with a cry, "What's that?" He stumbled past Julia and hurried over to the side of the ship, oblivious to the stares of the other pirates. "What? What is it?" Gibbs and Will peered over Jack's shoulder into the water, confused when they saw nothing of any interest. Elizabeth glanced up with red rimmed eyes whilst Jack continued to ignore them all and rushed over to the opposite side.

"It's on the move! What_ is_ that? "

As Gibbs turned to go after him, Jack quickly returned to the other side, his dreadlocks flying. By now the entire crew were watching him in utter bewilderment. Tia Dalma had joined the race to see the mysterious 'it' for herself and the_ Pearl_ had started to move, the frantic movements on board tilting the great ship gently from side to side.

"He's rockin' the ship!" Pintel groaned.

Barbossa frowned and stomped over to the map, Julia behind him. His eyes widened as he saw the tiny, carved ship in the centre of the chart...Jack had turned it upside down, "Aye! He's on to it!"

"What? Onto what?"

"Over the edge, over again! We have to be upside down!" He hurried down to the main deck, where all of the other pirates were running back and forwards, now understanding what had to be done, "Time it with the swell!" Pintel and Ragetti had tied each other to the mast, upside down of course, and were grinning manically.

Julia ran to join the rest of the crew as he went below deck to loose the cannons and empty barrels, her legs soon aching as the _Pearl _slowly rose onto it's side.

"This...this is harder than it looks!" she panted to Barbossa as he reappeared.

"If y-ye spent less energy runnin' yer mouth and more movin' yer arse it w-would be easier fer the rest of us!" he groaned back, "Shit! Here we go!" The pirates held tightly as the ship stopped rocking, leaving them hanging in mid-air as it slowly began to turn over.

"Now up...is down...hopefully!" Jack commented nervously as he dangled beside her.

Julia glanced down at the frothing ocean below them and gulped, "Jack! If you're wrong about this, I'm going to kill you!"

"Shut up and hold yer breath!"

Julia barely had time to take a final gulp of air before she found herself entirely submerged in cold, salty water. Suppressing a yelp of surprise, she tightened her grip as someone's hand closed upon hers. Barbossa. He nodded at her, his face an eerie green. He looked like the ghost of someone who had been drowned. Julia shuddered - _how did his hat stay on?_

She turned away and glanced along at the others, suspended uneasily from the rigging and the side of the ship and...

There was a noise like a muffled gunshot and a sudden ripple erupted through the water. Suddenly the water was rushing past them, the surface and the light coming closer and closer, faster and faster before, with a bang, the _Pearl_ popped out of the ocean like a cork from a bottle.

Julia gasped and opened her eyes - all around her the other pirates were coughing and spluttering, flopping on the deck like foundered fish. With a groan Gibbs rose to his knees and looked up at the sky.

"We're back!"

**a/n Thanks to my new reviewers - glad you're all enjoying this!**


	16. Confrontations

**Confrontations  
**

Julia stifled a watery cough as she squinted at the flooded deck of the _Black Pearl _and the sea beyond it. Elizabeth dragged herself to her feet nearby, damp strands of hair plastered to her face. "It's the sunrise," she muttered in awe as the pirates gazed at the pink horizon.

Julia smiled and turned to find herself gazing down the barrel of a gun - Barbossa's gun!

Before she knew what she was doing, she had her own pistol pointed at him and another at Elizabeth. It wasn't long before Jack, Will, Barbossa, Elizabeth and Julia were staring each other down, five sets of pistols loaded, as the rest of the crew gaped at them.

The silence was deafening, broken only by Pintel and Ragetti as they fought to free themselves from the mast. Suddenly, Barbossa began to laugh and slowly lowered his gun. Will smiled and the others followed suit, only to quickly raise their weapons at the slightest move from any of their opponents.

"This is ridiculous," Julia groaned, keeping her pistol trained on Elizabeth.

"Right then! The pirates are gatherin' at Shipwreck Cove," Barbossa growled, cocking a knowing eye at Jack, "You and I are goin' and there'll be no arguin' about it!"

Jack frowned, "I is arguing! If the pirate are gathering I'm pointing _my_ ship the other way!"

"But you're a pirate!" Elizabeth interrupted, furious at his cowardice. She turned to aim one of her guns at him, biting her lip as he retaliated with both of his. Will stepped in and Barbossa rolled his eyes, "Listen! If we don't stand together they'll hunt us down one by one 'til there's no one left but you!" At this, Jack grinned, announcing that he liked the sound of being the 'last pirate'.

Julia sighed, "Christ Jack! You're so bloody stupid sometimes!" He frowned at her indignantly.

"Aye, an' then you'll be fightin' Jones alone - how does that figure into your calculations?"

Jack smiled mysteriously, his pistol aimed at Barbossa's chest in a situation reminiscent of one the two pirates had found themselves in a year or so ago, "I haven't quite figured that out yet, but I will not be going back to the Locker mate. Count on that!" He pulled the trigger and Julia gasped as water squirted from the barrel into Barbossa's stunned face.

"Wet powder!" groaned Gibbs as the pirates attempted to fire their own guns with the same results.

Julia turned away and peered out over the ocean, "There's an island out there."

Barbossa nodded curtly, avoiding her eyes, "Turner, see if it's on the maps. We need fresh water." He stomped away up onto the poop deck and Julia followed, wondering what she had said to upset him. Ignoring her, Barbossa took out his spyglass and pointed it towards the indistinct blur.

Julia smiled, "Is that actual size then?"

"Very funny. What d'ye want?"

"Nothing much. I was just wondering what I had done to piss you off this time"

Barbossa laughed, "What, apart from bein' a traitor and a nosy wench to boot? Get back to work and stop botherin' me." He continued to gaze out at the choppy sea, his back to her. Julia sat down - _I'm not going anywhere!_

"When we were in the water...you grabbed my hand. Why?"

That got his attention. He whirled around, struggling to control the blaze in his eyes in an unconvincing attempt to look nonchalant, "What? What are ye blitherin' about now?"

"You _know_ what I'm talking about."

Without warning he threw the spyglass aside and glared at her, "Ye might have Beckett and Sparrow in the palm of yer hand but yer little act won't work on me! That's the last time I try to comfort a bloody woman!"

Julia snorted, "Is that all? Thank the stars for that! You frightened me to death, I thought you were trying to seduce me!"

"Oh right, we were about to drown and I was tryin' to get yer knickers off! Ye think a lot of yerself, don't ye?"

"Will you two give it a rest!"

They turned to see Jack grinning at them as he pulled out his own spyglass. It was now almost three times the size of the one belonging to his former First Mate. With a sly glance at Barbossa, Julia sniffed, "Well, thank you for the offer but actually,_ Hector, _I think I prefer Jack's..."

Barbossa waited until she had gone before turning to a gleeful Jack, who smiled at him innocently.

"I _hate_ that woman."


	17. Mutiny

**Mutiny  
**

The pirates crowded around Will Turner, who was pouring over a map on the makeshift table that Gibbs had hastily put together.

"There's a fresh water stream on the island," he said, stabbing at the tiny line with his knife, "Okay, the shore party...Pintel, Ragetti...Tai Huang and his men. Barbossa, you will lead them to the stream. You can replenish our water supplies and then we can be on our way." Will glanced up at the Captain nervously - if he refused to go it would put an end to his plans. There was no way he'd be able to carry out a mutiny under Barbossa's eagle eyes. And as for holding him prisoner until Sao Feng turned up...no chance! Luckily Barbossa seemed relatively happy to go - perhaps because Julia was staying aboard the_ Pearl_. They had been arguing earlier on and to the rest of the crew it seemed that Barbossa hated the young woman even more than he hated Jack, if that was possible!

Jack grinned, "Sounds good to me!"

At this, Barbossa caught his eye and scowled, "I'll not be leavin' _my_ ship in your command!"

This was the moment Will had been waiting for. "Why don't you both go ashore and leave the ship in my command," he gulped as the two Captains whirled around and hastily added, "Temporarily."

Soon the shore party had left and were bobbing steadily towards the island in one of the boats, much to Will's relief. He hurried below to prepare for the task ahead, glad to be away from Elizabeth; she wouldn't leave his side and if he wasn't careful she'd realise he was acting suspiciously. Then the game would be up and all his hard work would have been for nothing.

However, Elizabeth was too preoccupied with Julia to notice her fiancé's strange behaviour. Sitting talking with the mercenary on the stairs was a new experience for the young woman, who had never really had any friends, apart from Will. It was nice to have another woman to talk to - the girls in Port Royal had been too shallow and snooty for her to get close to and Tia Dalma...well, the priestess was nice enough but they were hardly _friends_. Elizabeth didn't know quite what to make of Julia but right now she seemed happy to chat and share a bottle of rum.

"You seem quiet. Is it Matthew?"

Julia, who had been spinning an empty bottle around, glanced up with hard eyes. Other than what she had divulged in the brig she had not mentioned her fiancé to the other woman.

"_What?_ How do you-"

Elizabeth smiled sympathetically, "I heard Jack telling Barbossa about him earlier. Matthew's his cousin, isn't he?"

Julia shrugged, "It's my business. And he had no right to tell anyone. He doesn't even care about Matthew." She got to her feet and made her way up to the poop deck, followed closely by Elizabeth.

"Julia, I-"

"Please, just leave it! I don't want to talk about it!"

Elizabeth frowned, "It's better to, believe me...and...well, at least Matthew is still alive. At least there's a chance you'll see him again." Julia closed her eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by guilt. She had forgotten about Governor Swann. However, before she could apologise, there was a sudden cry from the lower deck.

The two woman hurried to investigate. "Gibbs? What's going-_Will?_" Elizabeth gasped as a grim faced Will watched two of Tai Huang's men lash a struggling Tia Dalma to the mast, where Gibbs, Cotton and Marty were already tied up. He nodded curtly and suddenly the two young women found themselves bound alongside their crew members.

"Will! Will what are you doing?" Elizabeth screamed as her fiancé turned away, ashen faced.

"Elizabeth..._please_...I have no choice."

"You dirty, sneaky-" Julia fell silent as she realised what was coming towards them...

The _Empress_, Sao Feng's personal warship, followed closely by the_ Endeavor, _flagship of Lord Cutler Beckett himself.


	18. Betrayal

**Betrayal  
**

Blissfully unaware of the drama playing out aboard the_ Black Pearl_, Jack and Barbossa led the shore party deeper into the jungle towards the river, leaving behind the gigantic corpse of the once mighty kraken, along with a moment of rare camaraderie between the two Captains. Jack, however, was loath to allow Barbossa to forget his earlier confrontation with Julia and was foolishly attempting to goad his rival with old stories about the 'damned woman'.

"And - this is the good bit, right - then Jules got really riled at this bloke because he just didn't know when to bloody shut up-"

Barbossa rolled his eyes in exasperation, fighting the overwhelming urge to bash Jack's head in with a rock, "A bit like someone I know not so far from here, eh? Is this goin' anywhere Sparrow?"

"Well it would be if you'd stop interrupting me! C'mon you know you want to hear the rest!"

"No, I really don't. I don't bloody care what she did. The only story I want to hear about her is the one where she buggers off out of my life for good! Ah, the river!" He stalked off, followed closely by Jack.

"Love rears it's ugly head again, eh? I don't blame you Hector, she's a cracking wench!," he turned to make sure the rest of the crew were following before favouring Barbossa with a sly grin, "If she wasn't already involved with my cousin I'd rate your chances. Gah!" He leapt back as they reached the stream - and the body of a murdered pirate!

Barbossa ignored him and stooped to taste the greenish water, only to immediately spit it back out, "Fouled by the body."

Jack wrinkled his nose as Pintel waded into the stream to inspect the corpse. "Hey I know 'im! He was in Singapore!" One glance at the pale, slack face of the man confirmed this. It was one of Sao Feng's rabble. What was he doing here?

"Oi!"

The pirates turned to see Ragetti sprinting up the beach towards them, "We've got company!" He pointed out at the _Pearl_ and the elegant ship gliding towards it. The _Empress_; it was Sao Feng himself!

_Click!_

Barbossa and Jack whirled around in time to see Tai Huang and his men take out their pistols. Each of the Oriental pirates aimed a loaded gun at them - they had been betrayed! Jack gulped and pointed towards Barbossa.

"He's the Captain!"

**a/n Just a short chapter for now...I haven't abandoned this story, I've just got a lot on my plate what with my A-Levels coming up! More to come, I promise!**


	19. Loss, Lust and Loneliness

**Loss, Lust and Loneliness  
**

Julia didn't quite understand what was going on. After the mutiny and Jack and Barbossa's return to the _Pearl_, everything seemed to happen so suddenly and now here she was in the brig of the _Endeavour_, which was the last place on earth she wanted to be. She had been escorted aboard the ship by several naval officers, along with Jack, who had since been dragged away to meet with Beckett. But that had been hours ago...

"What's going on topside?" she asked the sailor guarding her cell. He ignored her pointedly before striding away when she lost her temper and struck the bars, "Hey! Where are you going? Oh..._great_..." Mercer, nursing a clumsily bandaged arm, descended into the darkness of the brig, smirking despite his injury.

"Well, well if it isn't my favourite little bilge rat."

Julia wrinkled her nose in distaste, "You know what they say about vermin Mercer. Takes one to know one."

His grin disappeared and he pushed his face up close to the bars, beady eyes running over the captive within, "Your friends might've given us the slip Clare, but they won't escape for long. Jack Sparrow has agreed to lead us to the Brethren Court."

"Jack would never do that. And if you think _I'll_ tell you anything, you're more stupid than you look."

Mercer ignored the insult, "The odds are stacked in Lord Beckett's favour, whore. We have the _Flying Dutchman _and, even if Sparrow double crosses us, there are many of your kind who will turn on their own for personal gain - just like you and Turner did."

"Why are you telling me this?"

He shrugged, "Your usefulness has run its course. Lord Beckett has put you under my charge for now and, seeing as I've been ordered to help Admiral Norrington keep an eye on Jones, that means your new home for the remainder of this vile business will be the brig of the _Dutchman_. And afterwards, I'll see to it that you go the same way as your precious Matthew. Down the hangman's trapdoor.

Julia's brown eyes widened and her voice trembled with fear and disbelief, "Wh-what did you say?"

"I suppose I shouldn't have let that slip just yet," Mercer smirked sardonically, clearly enjoying her confusion, "But, I as I said earlier, Lord Beckett is no longer in need of your services. To continue to mislead you would serve little purpose at this late stage in the game."

"Where's Matthew? What have you done with him you bastard?" Julia screamed, panic, anger and dread threatening to overcome her as she threw herself at the bars - had they not separated her from her quarry, she would have taken him limb from limb with her bare hands, "You promised he'd be safe!"

Mercer chuckled spitefully, "Oh, he's been dead and buried for months. Lord Beckett ordered his execution the day we left for Singapore."

"No..._no_..." Julia slumped to the floor, tears coursing down her pale cheeks, "I won't believe it...I _can't_ believe it..."

"I wish we had done it the day before to tell you the truth, so I could've seen the look on his face for myself..." Mercer turned away and made his way towards the stairs, a malicious smile on his lips as he mused aloud to himself, "I wonder if he wept. I bet he did. I bet he begged for his life. And pissed himself when the rope tightened around his neck."

"You shouldn't have told me this."

Mercer looked over his shoulders, slightly surprised to see Julia on her feet, that familiar, dangerous look on her tear-stricken face, "Excuse me?"

"You shouldn't have told me this," she repeated slowly, her dead eyes seeming to see through him before suddenly flickering to life and darting up to his face, "For now I will not rest until you and your master are dead by my hand. You will both beg for death before I'm finished with you. I swear it."

Mercer laughed coldly as he mounted the steps to the deck, "Forgive me if I seem unmoved but, as you will be spending the remainder of this voyage behind bars, I do not see how you plan to make good upon your threat. The gallows await you Miss Claremont. Accept your fate and pray God will be merciful."

With that, he slammed the door, engulfing Julia in darkness.

**x X x**

Aboard the_ Black Pearl_, with Will Turner secure in the brig and Elizabeth Swann being courted by Sao Feng upon his own ship, Barbossa was savouring a rare moment of quiet reflection at the helm. Jack had escaped from the _Endeavour_ - in his usual over the top, look-at-me fashion - minus Julia Claremont and was recovering from the 'ordeal' in his cabin. Tia Dalma was nowhere to be seen, the rest of the crew were going about their business with less hullabaloo than usual and Barbossa felt, for the first time since he had he had been brought back from the dead, at peace. The curse had been lifted and he was free to do whatever he wanted and, once all this trouble with the East India Company was over, he was planning to make up for lost time.

Starting with Tortuga.

Barbossa smiled to himself as he thought of all the things waiting for him there; meat, hot and greasy on the bone, juicy apples, wine, rum...and women, of course. Buxom, painted women, always willing to take off their clothes for so very little. They didn't have to be beautiful, any woman would do for him. After all, he hadn't had one in thirteen years...

It had been hell surrounded by three attractive, unreceptive women in an enclosed space. Elizabeth was a typical upper class bitch, beautiful and aloof, and Barbossa would have relished the chance to take her down a peg or two but he liked his women with a little more meat on their bones and, besides, she was madly in love with the whelp for some inexplicable reason. Meanwhile, Tia Dalma was exotic, easy and the way her hips rolled when she walked drove him crazy with desire, although he suspected that she knew this and sometimes exaggerated it. However, the voodoo priestess had made it quite clear that she was not interested in him and, in Barbossa's opinion, anyone who preferred Jack Sparrow's company to his was just not worth the effort.

And then, there was Julia. Barbossa just couldn't work out his feelings for this particular wench. On the one hand, he was glad that she was gone because she had been naught but a pest since their first meeting but, on the other, she was there each time he closed his eyes, in various positions and missing vital pieces of clothing

"Damn her," Barbossa scowled, pressing his fingers against his temples in an effort to block out the tantalising images that suddenly swamped him. What was wrong with him? Had Tia Dalma screwed something up inside him when she brought him back? He couldn't stand the lass and he was pretty sure the feeling was mutual...

_And yet..._

Barbossa shook his head and barked an order at a passing Ragetti.

It was going to be another long, lonely night.


End file.
